Box-making machine



Sept. 28 1926.

C. BURNHAM BOX MAKING MACHINE 192.5 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 21

sepnzs 192e. 1,601,236

C. BURNHAM BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1925 -4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7f3 I M l BY 729W ATTORNEYS VENT Sept, 28 1926.

1,601,236 c. BURNHAM BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet Sept. 2 8 1926.

C. BURNHAM BOX MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 2, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 YPatented sept. ze, ieee. i

reirse CHARLES BURN-HAM, OF TWASHINGTON, DSTRIC'TF COLUMBIA.

Bex-meme Meel-imei Application vfiled September 2, 192:5. x Sera1l1\o. ,54,15'22.

,10 my' @pending applicati@ Serial NO- 4:65872,

,filed July 29,1925.

lntllejdrawiessf F g, -Ll is a plan viewvot/the mechanism; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof; F 1g. 3 is a vvertical sectional View taken .tl-llQllgh the turretshook-carrier;

Fig. 3a is detail Vhorizzontal section on the line 3&4?? i Fig. 2;

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view-through the 'picker-shaft; l 5,6 land 7fare`detail views of one of the suction pickers;

Fig. ,8 lis a yhorizontal section ltakengthrough `the top (end of the Vvalve-chamber of the Y picker-shaft;

lf ig. 9 is a ydiagram V,showing the portarrang'ement in the valve;

Fig. 10 is a similar view lshowing the port arrangement in the valve-chamber;

Fig. l1 is adetail perspective view ofthe valve; Y. Y Y

Fig., l2 is a detail perspective view of the .valve-chamber. f .t

A'lrleferring Ito the drawings ,annexed by reference-characters, designates a ydriving shalt geared, by'bevel pinions Q1 and 22 to a Vertical sliailt. 23. 'This vertical shaft 23 inf termittently drives turret-shaft 24: Iby ineans of Aa Geneva movement consisting of star member 25 alliixed to sa-id shaft Qdand a roller-carrying member 26 carried by ,the shaft 23.'V

Vliflixed to the upper end of the shaft 24 is the shook-,carrieLhnd atlixed to said shaft at 'a point below its upper end is a pinion 28 which meshes with and drives an intermedi- Y ate gear`29, this gear 2,9 being in turn meshed with a gear 30 `allzred to a vertical hollow picker-shaft 3l, the intermediate gear 29 being suiiiciently wide to permit the gear' 3,0 toV be moved up and down a predetermined distancewithout becoming demeshed.

The picker-shaft 3l is intermittently reciprocated vertically by means ofa bell- No. 1,154,968, dated September 2S, 191757, andy crank 32 whose upwardly-extending arm. is eieccted by et the link teen 35i which is rockedon its pivot 35 bylmeans ,Ot .e @am 36e1Xed ,tothe aforesaid Shaft 23- The horizontal arm of the bellcrank is wenn `Connected to non-rotating tubularinember 37 o n which the .picl;e1-shaft.3l isistep'pee Vith this arrangement, it will 'be seen thatlthe picker-shaft 3l is vertically rcciprocated at predetermined intervalskanld that the ,tnrretcarrier 27 as .well as the picker-shaft 3l are intermittently rotated. ln addition to these movemei'its,.mechanism provided for vertically reciproeatinglaJ `,valve-rod 38 which entends up through ,the

tabular member 37 and into the lower end of the hollow Upicker-shaft 31,1this mechanism being `as follows A camr39 is VAained to Athe drive-shaft 20and is provided with a'v groove for actuating a bell-crank 4Q, ithe iipwardlylp rejecting arm of this bell-crank beingconnec'ted by means ofa'linl; 4l to aradialarm l2 aliixed yt-o a sleeve d3 (down'through which the Avalve-rodl extends. The valve-,rod `is tree toy slideup and down thronghsaid sleeve 43, but cannot turn independently thereo'so that theyalve-rod ,willbe intermittently rotated by means of vthejlinl il and its ,con-- nected devices at predetermined times ,duringfthe operation ofthepicker. A sleeve L3 is jonrnaled in abearingll.

As formerly, ythe turret-carrier embodies Afour open framesvleach adapted toreceive `pair of crossed shooksd, ,the picker ,mechanism vbeing so constructed asto .deposit the shoolrs into theserames -i-n succession ,as the carrier steps around, Vso .that as each shookcar-rying frame comes intov position Vfor ,the operation of the .basket-forming mechanism (not shown) it will present thereto Va pair of superposedcrossed shocks held ,in ALposition vinthe frame at their ends.

The pickers, hereinaiter described, deposit the shools into the open frames and jam or push them downwardly n ,ntil they engage the holding devices in the gfllllc. rlhe holding devices inv the Vpresent instance ,consist of upstanding plates 47 provided vonktheir saw-,toothgrooves 48, inner faces infclimng upwardly and outwardly., so that the distance between the lowermost oppositev yinner faces with a series oflclosely-.spaced Y 47 and the end edges ot the shooks snap into the saw-tooth serrations t8 and are thus held in position, extending across the center ot the central opening in the trame. To avoid any possibility ot the shooks being pushed down through the central opening in the frame, I provide inwardly-exten'ding edges or lugs 49, 49' at the base ot each ot the holders 4T. The lugs 9 tor the tirst shook (it being remembered that these shooks are deposited in the carrier in succession) have their arresting 'faces in a slightly lower plane than the other pair ot arresting lugs L19', the object ot this being to prevent the second shook from being` forced down into the traine 'tar enough to disturb the pre viously-placed shook.

Suction is maintained down through the picker-shatt 3l by means ot any suitable suction apparatus connected to the laterallyextending nipple 50 connected to the lower end ot the a'loresai'd tubular member El?. substantially air-tight connection is maintained between this stationary member 3'? and the lower end ot the hollow shaft 3l by means oi a tubular sleeve :l screwed into the lower end ot the sha'tt Si and having its lower edge bevelled to iit against a bevelseat formed on the upper end ot thev member 3T, suitable means being provided for holding this bevelled edge ot the sleeve in contact with the stationary seat 52 during the rotation ot the hollow shai't 3l.

The upper end ot the tubular shaft 3l is provided with an enlarged cylindrical section 5S which forms a valve-chamber tor housing a cylindrical valve which is attached rigidly to the upper end ot the tube 54C which is rigidly attached at its lower end to the upper end ot the valve-rod 3S, Aforming virtually an extension ot this valve-rod.

so that rotation ot the lower member 3S ot the valve-rod will rotatively actuate the valve The valve is provided with a vertical central passage, and radiating trom this central passage to the outer cylindrical surface of the valve are ports 55, 55', 552 and 553, the upper ones of which are connected together by an external channel-port 5G, while the two lower ports and 553 are connected together by a channel-port 5T. rlhe tace of the valve 5i is provided also with a superlieial relier-port 58.

rhe valve-casing 53 is provided at three equidistant points around its circumference with pairs ot ports 59 which are adapted to be put in communication with the ports in the valve atpredetern'iined intervals. tixed to the valve-cylinder 53 are three picker-arms 60, each ot which is provided with a pair of longitudinal air-channels Gl, G2 communicating respectively with the above-described ports The lower channel GQ is connected at its outer end with a port 63, and the other channel 61 is connected at its outer end to a port ttl, The port G3 communicates with the main, longitudinal port G5 ot a horizontal tube (3G, and the other port G communicates with a horizontal air-passage (3T 'formed in a tube GS which extends transversely. under the aforesaid tube G5, the tubes OS and ('13 lying at right angles to each other. Connected to each end ot each ot` the tubes "3.3 and (38 is a pair ot suctionwcups (3), adapted to pick up and hold the shooks when the cups have been pressed down on the upper faces thereot' and suction is maintained through the ports connected with the suction-cups. The tour suction-cups connected with the lower 'tube (3S are arranged in a plane above the tour suctioircups connected with the other tube G5. These upper suction-cups are so positioned as to pick up the first shook, and while said lirst shook is being held by suction, the other set ot suction-cups pic ts up the second shook: and both the shooks, in crossed relation, are delivered simultaneonsly into the carrier. It is essential, there tore, that the valve and port arrangement shall he such as to subject the upper set ot suction-cups to suction when they are pressed down upon the top shook in the stack and hold such suction during the time the picker is moving to the next stack to pick up the second shook in the same manner through the medium ot the other set ot suction-cups, suction being ot' course main tained until both shooks are deposited. by a downward thrust, into one ot the 'frames of the carrier.

TJpon each descent or" the tubular pickershait 3l. the following operations take place: The instant the crossed Shooks are delivered into the carrier and the suctioncups in the other two pii'hers come 'zn conJ tact with their respective shooks. the valve dit is rotated backwardly a short dinanee. This moven'ient ot the valve doell three things: iirst, the relie'tporl 5S puts the two ports 59 ot the depositing picker into consmunication with the atmosphere through one of the cylinder ports Tl, thus relievinr the suction on the suction-cups ot that pa rticular picker; secondly, the next picker. i. e., the one that is picking up the iecond shook, will have suction applied to its lower channel (r2 by being brought into cen'inuuiication with the port v thas picking up the second shook. thirdly, the remaining llS y 76 and the outer raceway being carried by aY stacks'). are'arranged as formerly in 'position to cooperate with the pickers and 'that each is provided with means for intermittently feeding the shocks upwardly so as to always keep the top shook yinposition to" those of the lower set; to compensate for this and thus'provice for a certain and firm thrust of the hrst shook into the carrier,- I provide this upper set of cups ywith a pair of opposRely-extending plates 73 which respectively-project out from the end-of the ktubeV 68 and have their outer edges curved upwardly, these plates being slightly resilient. The "under faces of the outer curved portions of these plates are positioned so that when Vthese upper cups are jammed down into the carrier', these plates are pressed against the upper faces of the shook points between the Vsuctioircups and the ends of theshook, thus giving the shook a broad bearing on thev picker' to insure A n proper presentation of the shook tothe carrier:

Air communication between the hollow shaft 3l and the hollow part 54 of the valve-rod is maintained through the' medium of holesy 542 in said hollow portions `of the valve-rod. F or convenience in cleaning out the dust that accumulates in tubular part 54, I provide a wire rod 74 carryingat its lower end a disk-scraper 75, fitting within the part- 54; by pulling up the rod `Z4 (by means of its hook 76), it will be seen that the tube 54 may be ycleared of its accumulated dust. vTheltop part or cover 74 of the valve-casing 53 is made removavble for this purpose. The tube 54 forms a dust-trapv in which dust drawn otl' the shocks collects, thus protecting the pump. The rotary valve 54 is centered within the valve-casing 53 by a ball-bearing 7 5 at its upper end, one of the raceways of this ball-bearingbeing carried on a bolt or pin short tube 77, set inthe top end of the valve. The cover T4 is flanged into the top end of the valve-casing v53.v This ball-bearing arrangement serves to center the valve 54 in the casing and relieve it of friction against the circular wall of the valve-casing, thus eliminating wear, this centering of the valve being ofspecial importance in view or' thefact that the radial air pull is always inward. -Another ball-bearing 78 is arranged at the bottom of the valve 54, the balls of this bearingresting on arest-plate which'rests uponv the'bottom of the valvecasing. v

Vhat I claim as new is:

l. In a box-shook handling apparatus emvloodying a pair of shook-stacks, an adjacent shook-carrier, and .means for picking up the rise and fall therewith, means being shocks successively from the stacks and crossing ythem and depositing them lin the carrier, embodying' an intermittently-r0 ytated pickereshaft carrying suction-pickers,

a single valve controlling the air both in suc- Vtion and inv relief, and means for actuating said valve.

2. In a vbox-shook handling mechanism, a pluralityo'fstacks for the shook-blanks, a

carrier to receive the crossed shocks, and' means for picking up the shocks in succession from the stacks and depositing them in the carrier embodying anl intermittently-rotated hollow shaft, means for raising and lowering said shaft at predetermined intervals, a plurality of picker-armscarried by said sha-ft, a rotary valve enclosed within said shaft and adapted to rise and fall therewith, said valve beingrprovided with exhaust ports and relief ports, and means for rotating said valve at predetermined intervals.

In a shook handling apparatus, a hollow Lpicker-shaft and means for raising and lowering it at predetermined intervals, means for i'ntciunittently rotating said shaft, a plurality of suction-pickers carried by said shaft and having two exhaust ports, a single rotary valve for controlling said exhaust ports, this valve being provided with a relief port for each picker, and means for oscillating the valve at the time of depositing the shocks. Y

4. In a box-shook handling apparatus, a hollow picker-shaft, means for rotating the picker-shaft, means for intermittently raising and lowering the picker-shaft, a plural ity offsuction-pickers carriedvby said shaft, and a Ysingle rotary valve for controlling the exhaust and relief of said pickers, this valve being mounted on the picker-shaft so as to vided for oscillating the valve at predetermined intervals.

5. In a shook handling apparatus, a rotary picker-shaft having an enlarged cylindrical valve-casing at its upper end provided with -three sets of exhaust-ports and three reliefports,a plurality of suction-pickers having theirV ports connected to said exhaust-ports, and a rotary hollow valve enclosed in said cylindrical valve-casing provided with exhaust-ports adapted to communica-te with the ports of the suction-pickers as the picker-shaft is rotated, said valve being provided with a relief-port, and means whereby the valve is rotated at the time of discharge of the shocks from each picker to thereby relieve the suction therein.

6. VA suction picker of the type set forth embodying two sets of suction cups, each set containing four cups and one set being arprolSi)

ranged at right angles to the other, one set Vhaving its cups set closer together than theV cups in the other set and in a higher plane, this latter set being providedwith a pair of iso oppositely-extending resilient plates adapted to bear against the upper face of the shook when this set of cups is brought into action.

7. In a boxanaking machine of the ltype set forth, a. carrier adapted to receive crossed shook blanks, said carrier being provided at four opposite sides with a device for engaging the edges of the shook blanks, said device consisting of an upstanding member having an inclined face provided with a series of fiange-forming notches.

S. In a box-making machine` a carrier adapted to receive crossed shook blanks, said carrier being provided at four opposite sides with a device for engaging the edges of the shook blanks to hold them in the carrier, and an arresting lng below each one of said holding devices. one pair of said lugs having its arresting faces in a higher plane than the other pair.

9. In an apparatus of the class set forth, a tubular picker-shaft carrying suctionpickers, and a rotary valve in said shaft having a hollow. stem or shaft through which the air is drawn from the pickers, this hollow stem or shaft being closed at its bottom and having an air-inlet at a point above its bottom to thereby form a dust-trap.

10. In a machine of the class set forth, a rotary hollow picker-shaft carrying hollow picker-arms, a rotary valve within the picker-shaft having ports adapted to communicate with the hollow arms as the shaft rotates. and means for centering the valve in the picker-shaft and relieving the valve of friction against the inner face of the hollow shaft.

ll. In combination 'ith a hollow pickershaft having a cylindrical valve-casing and radial ports, hollow picker-arms attached to said valve-casing, a removable cover for the upper end of said valve-casing. an oscillating valve within the valve-casing having radial ports adapted to communicate with the hollow picker-arms, and a ball-hearing interposed between the cover and the top end of the valve for centering the valve and thus relieving it of friction against the valve-casing.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature. 

